The SIK1/CRTC2/CREB1 and TWIST1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathways mediated by microRNA-25-3p are altered in the schizophrenic rat brain

Preparation, characterization, and anticancer effects of an inclusion complex of coixol with β-cyclodextrin polymers

CONTEXT

Coix [Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. mayuen (Roman.) Stapf (Poaceae)], a crop of medicinal and edible significance, contains coixol, which has demonstrated anticancer properties. However, the limited solubility of coixol restricts its potential therapeutic applications.

OBJECTIVE

This study prepared a water-soluble coixol-β-cyclodextrin polymer (CDP) inclusion compound and evaluated its anticancer effect.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The coixol-CDP compound was synthesized through a solvent-stirring and freeze-drying technique. Its coixol content was quantified using HPLC, and its stability was tested under various conditions. The anticancer effects of the coixol-CDP compound (4.129, 8.259, 16.518, and 33.035 mg/L for 24, 48, and 72 h) on the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells were evaluated using an MTT assay; cell morphology was examined by Hoechst nuclear staining; apoptosis and cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry; and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was assessed by Western blots.

RESULTS

The water-soluble coixol-CDP inclusion compound was successfully prepared with an inclusion ratio of 86.6% and an inclusion yield rate of 84.1%. The coixol content of the compound was 5.63% and the compound remained stable under various conditions. Compared to coixol alone, all 24, 48, and 72 h administrations with the coixol-CDP compound exhibited lower IC50 values (33.93 ± 2.28, 16.80 ± 1.46, and 6.93 ± 0.83 mg/L) in A549 cells; the compound also showed stronger regulatory effects on apoptosis-related proteins.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

These findings offer a new perspective for the potential clinical application of Coix in NSCLC therapy and its future research.

Ononin ameliorates depression-like behaviors by regulating BDNF-TrkB-CREB signaling in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ononin is a flavonoid compound found in several medicinal plants, including Astragalus membranaceus, Sophora flavescens, and Ononis spinosa. These plants have been traditionally used in various parts of the world for their medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects. Major depression is a common, long-lasting, and recurrent psychiatric disorder with a high suicide rate. Naturally occurring flavonoids treat depression via poorly understood mechanisms.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aimed to determine whether ononin conferred an antidepressant-like effect in PC12 cell models and chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depressive rat models and to explore its possible mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Depression-related behaviors were measured using sucrose preference, tail suspension and open-field tests. Furthermore, to explore these mechanisms, we employed in vitro and in vivo assay methods, including neurite outgrowth, western blotting, quantitative RT-PCR, and staining methods.

RESULTS

Treatment with ononin or BDNF significantly increased PC12 cells' neuronal growth and differentiation. Furthermore, ononin promotes the activation of TrkB and growth factors and upregulates the PI3K/Akt and BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathways. The in vitro results were consistent with CMS-induced depressive rat models, in which ononin treatment significantly decreased depression-like behaviors and activated TrkB, growth factors, and BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathways in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Depression-induced microscopic alterations in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of rats with CMS-induced depression were also mitigated following ononin treatment.

CONCLUSION

Based on these findings, we suggest that ononin is a promising antidepressant candidate for treating depression.

Shake It Up Baby Now: The Changing Focus on TWIST1 and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer and Other Diseases

TWIST1 is a transcription factor that is necessary for healthy neural crest migration, mesoderm development, and gastrulation. It functions as a key regulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process by which cells lose their polarity and gain the ability to migrate. EMT is often reactivated in cancers, where it is strongly associated with tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Early work on TWIST1 in adult tissues focused on its transcriptional targets and how EMT gave rise to metastatic cells. In recent years, the roles of TWIST1 and other EMT factors in cancer have expanded greatly as our understanding of tumor progression has advanced. TWIST1 and related factors are frequently tied to cancer cell stemness and changes in therapeutic responses and thus are now being viewed as attractive therapeutic targets. In this review, we highlight non-metastatic roles for TWIST1 and related EMT factors in cancer and other disorders, discuss recent findings in the areas of therapeutic resistance and stemness in cancer, and comment on the potential to target EMT for therapy. Further research into EMT will inform novel treatment combinations and strategies for advanced cancers and other diseases.

Identification of immune-related biomarkers in peripheral blood of schizophrenia using bioinformatic methods and machine learning algorithms

Schizophrenia is a group of severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Identification of peripheral diagnostic biomarkers is an effective approach to improving diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this study, four datasets of schizophrenia patients' blood or serum samples were downloaded from the GEO database and merged and de-batched for the analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WCGNA). The WGCNA analysis showed that the cyan module, among 9 modules, was significantly related to schizophrenia, which subsequently yielded 317 schizophrenia-related key genes by comparing with the DEGs. The enrichment analyses on these key genes indicated a strong correlation with immune-related processes. The CIBERSORT algorithm was adopted to analyze immune cell infiltration, which revealed differences in eosinophils, M0 macrophages, resting mast cells, and gamma delta T cells. Furthermore, by comparing with the immune genes obtained from online databases, 95 immune-related key genes for schizophrenia were screened out. Moreover, machine learning algorithms including Random Forest, LASSO, and SVM-RFE were used to further screen immune-related hub genes of schizophrenia. Finally, CLIC3 was found as an immune-related hub gene of schizophrenia by the three machine learning algorithms. A schizophrenia rat model was established to validate CLIC3 expression and found that CLIC3 levels were reduced in the model rat plasma and brains in a brain-regional dependent manner, but can be reversed by an antipsychotic drug risperidone. In conclusion, using various bioinformatic and biological methods, this study found an immune-related hub gene of schizophrenia - CLIC3 that might be a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for schizophrenia.